James T. Priest
19 Sep 1835 - 2 May 1903
diedTempe, Arizona, USA
bornOntario, Canada
SchooltblData
BiographyFarmer and merchant.Came to Tempe in 1871.
Came to the United States in 1836; became a naturalized citizen in Santa Cruz, California, in 1867.
Homesteaded land west of Hayden's Ferry in 1871. Bought 80 acres south of 5th St. in 1872, which he sold to Charles T. Hayden in 1875.
Worked on construction of the Kirkland-McKinney Ditch and served as President of the Kirkland-McKinney Canal Company. Served as zanjero and President of the Tempe Irrigating Canal Company (c1898-1899). Elected zanjero of Tempe Irrigating Canal Co., August 16, 1872, and served until 1875.
Elected a director and zanjero of the Tempe Irrigating Canal Co., October 1887; elected a
director of the Western Branch, 1897-99.
Served five terms on Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in the 1870s and 1880s. He also served as a Trustee for Tempe School District #3 in 1875 and 1885. He was Justice of the Peace in Tempe; was a member of the Arizona Good Roads Association and the Maricopa Water Storage Commission. He was one of the party of five men who went to Tonto Basin and laid the first plans for the Roosevelt Dam, c1889, but he did not live to see the completion of the dam. He was one of the donors that contributed to a fund to purchase the land for the Territorial Normal School in 1885. He also helped raise funds for building St. Mary's (Mt. Carmel) Catholic Church in Tempe, 1902-1903. Widow lived at 1103 Normal Ave in 1921, -23, '31.
OSB 3; OSB 63
BIO-Priest
Federal census, 1880, 1900
Florence Cath. Church, Marriage Register, 1875
Marina Priest Wellington obit, 1979
Territory of Arizona vs. Alfredo Brown, 1881
HPS-142; HPS-160
TH-231.01; HPS-232; HPS-235
Lewis, History of Irrigation in Tempe, pp. 29, 35
Lamb, Historical Overview of Tempe
Maricopa County Great Register, 1882
Solliday, Journey to Rio Salado, pp. 54, 70
DeForest, History of Tempe School District #3 McClintock, Arizona, vol. 3, pp. 110-111
Hopkins and Thomas, The ASU Story, p. 51
Tempe CD, 1898-1899, 1921, 1923, '31
Person TypeIndividual
